Cricket
Bowled Over: Campus Cricket Skipper Talks T20
Rohit Singh of UAE’s Heriot-Watt on the varsity RBCC finals
1 Campus Cricket Skipper Talks T20
© Heriot Watt
The UAE’s Heriot-Watt University team is all fired up to fight again in the Red Bull Campus Cricket (RBCC) world finals in Sri Lanka in September.
They’ll be competing against powerhouse nations Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies after triumphing over Skyline University at the UAE finals in the spring.
And they’ll be hoping to cause as much upset at the T20 grassroots tournament as in 2015 (their first appearance), when they beat Pakistan by 19 runs to finish third of Group B, behind Sri Lanka and South Africa - the ultimate winner.
We talk to Sharjah-born team captain Rohit Singh, 22, who graduates from a mechanical engineering undergraduate degree at the university next year, about how he got into cricket, getting the team ready for #campuscricket for a second time, and what’s next for him.
What position do you play?
I am a top-order batsman and a handy, medium-paced bowler. I also love to field well.
What’s special for you about T20 cricket?
T20 cricket is a very dynamic, fast-paced form of cricket. It changes quickly and is exciting for viewers as well as players. T20 has completely changed the cricketing world. Gone are the days where unfit cricketers with big bellies could perform well in test matches and 50-over cricket: fitness is a critical aspect now. It has also made powerful, six-hitting cricketers, who can smash the ball out of the park, important. The game can change any time – that’s why the cricketers have to be on their toes at all times.
2 Campus Cricket Skipper Talks T20
© Heriot Watt
Who are your cricketing idols?
I try to learn from all the good cricketers and pick out aspects from each. India’s Virat Kohli, South Africa’s AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla and Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq for their batting skills, and India’s MS Dhoni for his amazing captaincy and thinking. Also India’s Rajat Bhatia, who is not as popular as the others, but is one of the best domestic all-rounders in India and plays best in the IPL.
Beating Pakistan was the biggest surprise at last year’s RBCC - and you learned that trick by watching them play first. Will you do the same this year?
I stayed back alone at the ground to watch South Africa vs Pakistan while my team went back to the hotel. I noticed a few things in Pakistan’s batting and bowling, and made plans...
This year we have a well-balanced team and have played a few warm-up matches: we’re ready to go. We’ll get accustomed to the Sri Lankan weather conditions by practicing there; we’ll note the other teams’ strength and weaknesses, and plan accordingly.
The stiffest competition will, again, come from the defending champions, South Africa’s Assupol TUKS [from the University of Pretoria, who will be hoping for a hat trick after winning in 2014 and 2015].
What got you into cricket?
My dad used to watch a lot of cricket on TV when I was very young. I started playing gully cricket when I was six or seven, and joined the Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s academy at nine. I played for and captained the Sharjah Cricket Council Academy in all four age categories, from under-11s to under-19s, and also captained my school team (the Delhi Private School in Sharjah).
At the same time, I went on to play for the UAE under-15s, and then captained the UAE team that played the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2014. I got picked for the ICC World T20 in Bangladesh that year, and have been in the UAE set-up since. My dad has really backed me!
3 Campus Cricket Skipper Talks T20
© Heriot Watt
How did you come to captain the Heriot-Watt University cricket team?
I was already skipper to the UAE under-19s when I joined the university, and many of the other guys had played under my captaincy at academy and club-level cricket - so I became captain as soon as I started.
Tell us about H-W’s other success stories.
I am the first captain in the history of university-level tournaments to win all eight Emirates inter-university championships over three years, including the RBCC world qualifiers and the Dubai International Academic City Cup. I can proudly say we are the best university cricket team in the UAE.
What other sports do you play?
I also enjoy football. I represented my school at the national level as a centre forward. As cricket got more serious in university, I just played a few intra-university football tournaments… and won medals in them as well! I also won first place in my university at the Neymar Jr’s Five Football Championship.
Have you been scouted after the last RBCC?
I am already playing the highest level of cricket in the UAE and am on the UAE team. But I am eager and ready to play different leagues around the world and expand my cricketing skills. Hopefully, it will all happen with time.
How will this year be different for you as a team?
Last year, we didn’t have a full-strength side due to visa problems for our Pakistani players. We know what level we will be facing in Sri Lanka this time. We will be at full strength and will play our hearts out!
Now in its fifth edition, the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals is an annual event that brings together the best among the best in university cricket from cricket-playing nations around the world. This year’s final takes place from 5-11 September in Sri Lanka. #CampusCricket